Garbage storage vault



Jan. 8, 1963 'r. BARBER 3,071,867

GARBAGE STORAGE VAULT Filed June 10. 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 3 En -7. 98 e0 48 3o 50 INVENTOR.

TRAVIS L. BARBER ATTQRN EYS Jan. 8, 1963 T. L. BARBER 3,071,867

GARBAGE STORAGE VAULT Filed June 10. 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORN EVS United States Patent @fifice 3,071,867 Bat-tented Jane 8, 1963 3,071,867 GARBAGE STGRAGE VAULT Travisrls. Barber, 2637 W. 41st St,

Girlahoma City, Okla. Filed June 10, 1960,,Ser. N0..35,254. 7" Claims. (Cl; 34-80) Thi'sinvention relates to 'a novel and improved storage vault for Waste material, especially garbage, having automat1c aerating and deodorizing means.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of an efliciennsanitary, conveniently used device of the kind indicated wherein garbage containers placed therein are protectively enclosed against the weather and against access thereto of animals andinsects, and are readily reached and removed by garbage collectors, and wherein air circulating means provides a forced circulation of outside air within the vault and across the garbage containers so as to maintain the containers and their contents in a dr ycondition; and deodorizingmeans'provides trapping and'neutralizing of the odors generated within the vault, the device being especially suited to use by hotels and other establishments having a relatively large production of waste material.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character indicated above which has a counterweighted lid or cover, affording reliable and complete closure of the vault and easy access thereto for placement and removal of garbage containers.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a device of the character indicated above, novel air filtering and deodorizing means which involves a filter pad, to which water containingdeodorant-is automatically fed, and through which air is automatically drawn from the vault and deodorized into the outside air in a clean and deodorized condition.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention: will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein, for

line 3-3 ofFIGURE 2, showing the lid or cover in' closed position; and' FIGURE .4 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 44=of.FlGURE 2, the cover or lid being in open position.

Referringin detail to the drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, the illustrated device comprises a longitudinally elongated generally rectangular, open-top, open front casing 10, preferably made up of sheet metal and angle irons. The casingxlt) comprises a flat bottom wall 12, a perpendicular rear wall 14, and perpendicular end walls 18 and 20.

The Walls arejoined together and braced by horizontal angleirons 22 and'vertical angle irons 24', and forwardly declining angle irons 25 are secured on and extend along the upper edges of the end walls 18 and 20. The vertical angle irons 24, atthe corners of; the casing 10, are extended downwardly below the bottom wall 12, and have lateral flanges 26.on their lower ends, through which are threaded vertically adjustable, ground-engaging levelling bolts 28, so thatthecasing 10 canbe supported in a level position on a surface and with'anoutside air spacebetween such'surfaceand thebottom of the casing.

The casing 10 is provided with a sectional lid or'cover 30 which is composed of a-flat closure section 32, slightly larger in area than the open top of the casing, and a hat normally pendant section 34 for covering the open front of the casing. The closure section 32 is suitably hinged, along its elevated rear edge 36', to the'upper edge of the casing rear wall 14, as indicated at- 38', and the pendant section 34 is suitably hinged, along its upper edge 40, and at the innersidethereof, as-indicated at 42, to the underside ofthe closure section 32, along a line spacedinwardly from the depressed forward edge 44 of the latter, so that a protective eave 46. is defined, which extends forwardly beyond the joint between the sections, as shown in FIGURE 3.

Fixed, asindicated at 48, upon the closure section 32 at the ends thereof and reaching rearwardly beyond its rear edge 36, are generally horizontal weights 56), which counterbalance the pendant section 34, and facilitate opening of the cover, from a closed position, in conjunction with the counterweighting effect of a counterweight 52.

The counterweight 52 is. preferably in the form of a vertically elongated weighty body 54 which has a cable 56 suitably connected, at one end, to its upper end, and which is connected, at its other end, as indicated at 58, to the closure section 32 of the lid 34), at a location midway between its end and near its forward edge 44. The counterweight body 54 is slidably confined within a. vertical guide pipe 60 which is fixed, by vertically spaced brackets 62, to the rear side of the rear casing wall 14, andextends thereabove. The, guide pipe 60 has an open upper end 64', whereat a pulley 66 is provided, over which the cable 56 is trained into the pipe. The cover 30 can be-operated without the counterweight 52, but operates more smoothly therewith.

The right-hand or second end wall 20 of the casing 10 is formed with an outside air inlet opening 68 which is located at the lower for-Ward corner thereof, and is covered by a screen 70. The casing rear wall 14 is provided, in the upper corner thereof, adjacent to the first or left-hand end wall 18, with an air outlet or discharge opening 72, around which is suitably fixed to the inner or forward side'of the. rear wall 14, an electric fan. frame; 74, in which is centrally mounted a motor 76 having a horizontal axis fan 78, facing the opening 72, the blades of the fan 78 being pitched to pull air through the casing from the inlet opening 68 to and force the air out through the outlet or discharge opening. 72. Suitable electric connections and switching means for the fan motor 76 (not shown.) are provided for substantially continuously operating thefan 78while the vault is in use. With a row of'spaced garbage containers or cans 82 resting upon the casing bottom wall 12, between and spaced from the wall 38;

casing end walls. 18, .20, operation of the fan 78 pulls outside air through the inlet opening 63, so that the air circulates around and betweenand over the cans, and the. contents thereof, and finally reaches and passes out through the. discharge opening 72, so that odor producing and other: noxious. matter and excess moistureentrained in the air iscarried out of the casing, instead of accumulating in the. casing.

For clearing, cleaning, and. de-odorizing. the air discharged through the opening 72, there is suitably mounted on the exterior of the rear casing wall 14, around the discharge opening 72,, a rectangular pan-shaped housing-84having a sidewall 86, an abbreviated bottom wall 88, and an internal flange 90,, spaced from the. bottom The housing 84 is larger in area than the discharge. opening 72 and extends therebelow, as is a rectangular filtering andideodorizingpad92, which is supported between the housing bottom wall SS'and the flange 99; and extends acrossthe opening '72. The major area of the housing bottom wall 88 is occupied by a circular outlet opening 94, around which is suitably secured the forward end of an elbow 6 on the lower end of an upstanding perpendicular flue pipe 98. The flue pipe 98 has an open upper end 100, which is disposed above the casing 19, and has a conical cap supported thereon.

Liquid cleansing and deodorizing solution is fed to the housing 84 by a pipe or hose 104, leading through the top of the housing 84 and discharging onto the pad 92 from a suitable driven pump 106 which is located within a tank 198 which is mounted on the casing rear wall 14. A return pipe or hose 1G9 leads from the bottom of the housing 84 to the tank 108. Supported on the casing rear wall, above the tank 108, is a solution reservoir 110, having a filling cap 112, which has gravity communication with the tank 108 by means of a pipe 114 leading into the tank through a float-controlled valve 116, whereby a predetermined level of solution is maintained in the tank 168. The pump 106 is adapted to be substantially continuously operated during use of the vault, so that the pad 92 can continuously operate to clean and deodorize air passed therethrough.

As shown in FIGURE 3, the pendant section 34 of the casing cover or lid 30 preferably extends to the bottom of the front of the casing 10, in the closed position of the cover, and the pendant section 34 is provided, at its lower end, with one or more external handles 113. For moving the cover to its open position, the handle 118 is grasped and pulled upwardly and then pushed rearwardly, so that the closure section assumes the acutely angled or perpendicular vertical position, shown in FIGURE 4, with the pendant section 34 depending in perpendicular position. In these positions of the cover sections, the weights 50 are out of position to exert their full cover depressing force, so that the weight of the counterweight 54 is sutlicient to hold the cover in its open position, so as to afford free and unemcumbered access to the interior of the casing 10. Pulling the handle 118 forwardly and downwardly restores the cover to its closed position.

While there has been shown and described herein a preferred form of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily confined thereto,

and that any change or changes in the structure of and in the relative arrangements of components thereof are contemplated as being within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. A garbage storage vault comprising an open-top casing having a bottom wall, a rear wall, and an open front, and first and second ends walls, a cover normally closing the open top and the front of the casing and hinged on said rear wall, a screened outside air inlet formed in the lower part of one end wall, a wall of said casing remote from said one end wall having an air discharge opening in an upper part thereof, and fan means for circulating air from said inlet opening across the interior of the casing to and through said discharge opening to the exterior of the casing, said cover comprising a closure section normally overlying and closing the open top of the casing, and a pendant section hinged on said closure section and normally depending along and closing the front of the casing and counterweight means mounted on the rear wall and operatively connected to the closure section.

2. A garbage storage vault comprising an open-top casing having a bottom wall, a rear wall, and an open front, and first and second end walls, a cover normally closing the open top and the front of the casing and hinged on the rear Wall, a screened outside air inlet formed in the lower part of one end wall, a wall of said casing remote from said one end wall having an air discharge opening in an upper part thereof, and fan means for circulating air from said inlet opening across the interior of the casing to and through said discharge opening to the exterior of the casing, said cover comprising a closure section normally overlying and closing the open top of the casing, and a pendant section hinged on said closure section and normally depending along and closing the front of the casing and counter-weight means on the rear wall and operatively connected to the closure section, said closure section having a rear edge hinged on the upper edge of the rear wall and having a forward edge on which the pendant section is hinged, and handle means on said pendant section for pulling the pendant section and the closure section forwardly and downwardly to closed position.

3. A garbage storage vault comprising an open-top casing having a bottom wall, a rear wall, and an open front, and first and second end walls, a cover normally closing the open top and the front of the casing and hinged on the rear wall, a screened outside air inlet formed in the lower part of one end wall, a wall of said casing remote from said one end wall having an air discharge opening in an upper part thereof, and fan means for circulating air from said inlet opening across the interior of the casing to and through said discharge opening to the exterior of the casing, said cover comprising a closure section normally overlying and closing the open top of the casing, and a pendant section hinged on said closure section and normally depending along and closing the front of the casing and counterweight means on the rear wall and operatively connected to the closure section, said closure section having a rear edge hinged on the upper edge of the rear wall and having a forward edge on which the pendant section is hinged, and handle means on said pendant section for pulling the pendant section and the closure section forwardly and downwardly to closed position, means comprising a vertical guide pipe fixed on the casing rear wall and rising above the casing, said pipe having an upper end, a pulley mounted on the pipe at its upper end, a cable having a first end connected to the closure section of the cover at its forward edge, said cable being trained over said pulley and having a second end within the pipe, and a counterweight fixed to said second end of the cable and sliding in the pipe.

4. A garbage storage vault comprising an open-top casing having a bottom wall, a rear wall, and an open front, and first and second end walls, a cover normally closing the open top and the front of the casing, and hinged on the rear wall, a screened outside air inlet formed in the lower part of one end wall, said rear wall having an air discharge opening in an upper part thereof, and fan means for circulating air from said inlet opening across the interior of the casing to and through said discharge opening to the exterior of the casing, said fan means comprising a closed housing fixed on the outer side of the casing rear wall and opening to said discharge opening, an upstanding fiue pipe having a lower end communicating with said housing, and an air cleaning and filtering pad mounted in said housing across the air discharge opening between the discharge opening and the line pipe.

5. A garbage storage vault comprising an open-top casing having a bottom wall, a rear wall, and an open front, and first and second end walls, a cover normally closing the open top and the front of the casing and hinged on the rear wall, a screened outside air inlet formed in the lower part of one end wall, said rear wall having an air discharge opening in an upper part thereof, and fan means for circulating air from said inlet Opening across the interior of the casing to and through said discharge opening to the exterior of the casing, said fan means comprising a closed housing fixed on the outer side of the casing rear wall and opening to said discharge opening, an upstanding flue pipe having a lower end communicating with said housing, and an air cleaning and filtering pad mounted in said housing across the air discharge opening between the discharge opening and the flue pipe, and a fan mounted on the inner side of the casing rear wall and registering with the discharge opening.

6. A garbage storage vault comprising an open-top casing having a bottom wall, a rear wall, and an openfront, and first and second end walls, a cover normally closing the open top and the front of the casing and hinged on the rear wall, a screened outside air inlet formed in the lower part of one end wall, said rear Wall having an air discharge opening in an upper part thereof, and fan means for circulating air from said inlet opening across the interior of the casing to and through said discharge opening to the exterior of the casing, said fan means comprising a closed housing fixed on the outer side of the casing rear wall and opening to said discharge opening, an upstanding flue pipe having a lower end communicating with said housing, and an air cleaning and filtering pad mounted in said housing across the air discharge opening between the discharge opening and the flue pipe, and a fan mounted on the inner side of the casing rear wall and registering with the discharge opening, air cleaning and deodorizing solution supplying means connected to said housing and supplying solution to said pad.

7. A garbage storage vault comprising an open-top casing having a bottom wall, a rear wall, and an open front, and first and second end walls, a cover normally closing the open top and the front of the casing and hinged on the rear wall, a screened outside air inlet formed in the lower part of one end wall, the rear wall having an air discharge opening in an upper part thereof, and fan means for circulating air from said inlet opening across the interior of the casing to and through said discharge opening to the exterior of the casing, said cover comprising a closure section normally overlying and closing the open top of the casing, and a pendant section hinged on said closure section and normally depending along and closing the front of the casing, said closure section having a rear edge hinged on the upper edge of the rear wall and having a forward edge on which the pendant section is hinged, cover opening means mounted on the casing at the rear thereof and connected to said closure section, and handle means on said pendant section for moving the pendant section and the closure section forwardly and downwardly to closed position, said cover opening means including Weights fixed on the closure section and extending rearwardly beyond the rear edge thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 800,681 Roberts Oct. 3, 1905 1,281,587 Kovachevich Oct. 15, 1918 1,282,363 Barducci Oct. 22, 1918 1,327,120 Stewart Jan. 6, 1920 1,831,687 Ross Nov. 10, 1931 2,589,358 Feiertag Mar. 18, 1952 2,846,696 Herriott Aug. 12, 1958 

1. A GARBAGE STORAGE VAULT COMPRISING AN OPEN-TOP CASING HAVING A BOTTOM WALL, A REAR WALL, AND AN OPEN FRONT, AND FIRST AND SECOND ENDS WALLS, A COVER NORMALLY CLOSING THE OPEN TOP AND THE FRONT OF THE CASING AND HINGED ON SAID REAR WALL, A SCREENED OUTSIDE AIR INLET FORMED IN THE LOWER PART OF ONE END WALL, A WALL OF SAID CASING REMOTE FROM SAID ONE END WALL HAVING AN AIR DISCHARGE OPENING IN AN UPPER PART THEREOF, AND FAN MEANS FOR CIRCULATING AIR FROM SAID INLET OPENING ACROSS THE INTERIOR OF THE CASING TO AND THROUGH SAID DISCHARGE OPENING TO THE EXTERIOR OF THE CASING, SAID COVER COMPRISING A CLOSURE SECTION NORMALLY OVERLYING AND CLOSING THE OPEN TOP OF THE CASING, AND A PENDANT SECTION HINGED ON SAID CLOSURE SECTION AND NORMALLY DEPENDING ALONG AND CLOSING THE FRONT OF THE CASING AND COUNTERWEIGHT MEANS MOUNTED ON THE REAR WALL AND OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO THE CLOSURE SECTION. 